I encourage everyone to read this post, however, what I have here is mainly for my female audience. Next week, I will have a very special post for you guys!
I came
across another successful female entrepreneur. What I love about my career, is discovering real life success
stories. Her name is Mary Foley and whoa, what a woman! She left the corporate world to pursue a career with no glass ceilings. She made the decision to call the shots, become a woman in charge, and started
up her own company Bodacious! Ventures.
Suggested Reading: Bodacious Woman: Outrageously in Charge of Your Life and Lovin' It!
When you view her site, you will notice she adores the word "bodacious". Please post your comments below.
Three Keys to Being a Bodacious, Successful Woman in Business -Courtesy of Mary Foley
Ah, how exciting it is
to start your own business and be free of the corporate life! Many
women—to the tune of 10.6 million according to the Center for Women’s
Business Research—have cut the strings to an employer’s schedule and
agenda to set their own direction. By starting their own business they
are their own boss and proud of it! You may know a woman who owns her
own business or you may be one yourself. One in eleven adult women is
an entrepreneur!
Every woman who follows her inner voice
and takes the plunge of starting a business is bodacious. Bodacious,
means to be bold, outstanding, and gutsy. From my ten years rising
through the ranks at AOL forging my corporate career and now five years
as an entrepreneur, I’ve come up with my own definition of bodacious:
The courage to be in charge of your life.
It takes courage to start your own business and it takes courage to
keep at it to make it successful. Here are three keys I’ve determined
to be a successful, Bodacious Woman in business.
1. Figuring out what you need to know.
No one starts a business having all the knowledge they need to make
their business successful. For example, if you were an accountant at an
accounting firm, you’ll know how to set up the bookkeeping system for
your new tax business, but you probably won’t know much about marketing
your services or finding prospective clients. It’s critical that you
seek out the knowledge you don’t have, and quickly. Fortunately, there
are many ways to learn including books, seminars, Internet, and
networking groups. A great way to get started is to simply asking
questions. Bodacious Women know the answer is out there.
2. Strive for sanity!
Starting and growing your business can also feel chaotic. You not only
have the roles of CEO, service provider, marketer, saleswoman, customer
service representative, and administrative assistant, to name a few,
you also have personal life roles such as wife, partner, mother,
daughter, sister, neighbor, friend, and more. It’s no wonder women feel
stressed! In my own business and life I don’t aim for balance. Instead,
my goal is sanity - feeling satisfied at the end of each day, believing
that I spent my time and energy on the people and activities most
important to me. To do this, you have to know what you want…from
everyday business decisions to major choices.
3. Feed the motivation meter.
In addition to gaining knowledge and striving for sanity, successful
Bodacious Women in business need one more thing.. One of the biggest
killers of motivation is isolation. Since many women in business are
“soloprenuers,” it’s mega-important that you create relationships with
other entrepreneurs and reach out often. A great way to do this is to
be part of a “mastermind” group. My mastermind group consists of four
other women. Every two weeks we gather on the phone for the sole
purpose of sharing our mini victories and asking for ideas to overcome
our latest challenges. Just knowing these women are cheering me on
motivates me to stay positive and energized.
Deciding to start your own business can be exciting and empowering.
It’s bodacious! To keep that lovin’ feeling and make your business
successful, keep these three keys in mind: knowledge, sanity, and
motivation. Here’s to your bodacious success!
About the Author:
During a successful, demanding, rising-through-the-ranks ten-year
career with America Online, Mary learned that the only way to thrive in
today’s world is to be bold, positive, and courageous—bodacious! Today,
as the founder of the Bodacious Women’s Club, Mary inspires women
entrepreneurs to use their natural abilities to build their businesses,
reduce stress, and feel fulfilled. You can be inspired, too! Get a free
copy of Mary’s popular e-book 5 Empowering Words for Women at http://gobodacious.com
by Joseph O'Connor
by Elyse Fitzpatrick
